Author: Scottish Mum

Today’s guest post is in collaboration with Ridgeons.  It’s coming to the holiday time again, in the second part of the year, where we wonder where the time has flown, and how we’re going to do everything in time.  I have to say, I think every girl should have a drill and a few screwdrivers tucked away in a tool box.

——————

The holidays are one of the few times a year that all corners of the family have the chance to spend quality time together. That means that the months leading up to it are the opportune time to make any improvement to the home that you’ve been putting off lately. Here are five simple repairs anyone can do.

Squeaky Hinges

A squeaky door hinge is bearable with just few people in the home, but with a full house constantly moving between rooms it can quickly become gruelling. Fortunately, it’s a quick fix. Spray a little WD-40 onto the hinges and then move the door back and forth to work in the lubricant. If this doesn’t work, you could also try rubbing petroleum jelly directly onto the hinges.

Slamming Doors

Equally annoying can be slamming doors, especially if you have excited kids running around. You can soften the blow by affixing a one or two pieces of felt pads inside the door frame. If you forget about this one, and don’t have time to run to the shops, hook a wide rubber band around the doorknobs on both sides, making sure it doesn’t cover the latch. This will help to cushion the impact.

Peeling Wallpaper

Noticed that edge of wallpaper starting to peel out of the corner of your eye lately? Peel the paper back until you reach the point that it’s securely attached to the wall. Now use a small paintbrush to apply a thin layer of glue to the back of the loose piece. Once reattached, smooth it down with a clean cloth, being careful to remove any air bubbles that have formed.

Dry Chopping Boards

With all of those vegetables to prepare for the big meal, it might be time to bring new life to that chopping board of yours. If it has any deep cuts, you might want to sand these down as they’ll trap food and make it more difficult to clean later on. User a sander like those available here. Wooden boards will also start to dry out over use so warm a bottle of mineral oil in some hot water. Wipe the oil onto the surface with a soft cloth and then wipe off the excess a few hours later.

Stained Bathtub

If you have any stains in your bathtub that don’t seem to disappear no matter how hard you scrub, try speeding up the process with the help of a little white vinegar. Pour in three cups along with some hot tap water and the let the tub fill up over the stain. Give it a few hours to soak and then when you let the water drain out any stains should easily scrub off.

Have any alternate tips yourself? Let us know all about them in the comments below.

This guest post is brought to you in collaboration with Just Miniatures.  I know, I know, it’s only September, but I’ve already bought some of my gifts for this year, otherwise I’d never make it through the holiday season.

—————-

The Christmas stocking might seem like the easiest gift to handle come Christmastime, especially as you don’t have to faff about with all that wrapping paper and sellotape. But then when the time comes to put the stocking together you can often find that you don’t have enough small gifts to fill the space.

Every year it can be a challenge to come up with creative ways to fill Christmas stockings, especially if you continue the tradition as your kids get older and their tastes change, or if you do stockings for the entire family – adults included. Here’s a guide to make the Christmas stockings just that little bit easier this year, and help you find great gifts for all the family.

A New Hobby

We think of stocking gifts as little, fun, throwaway items that will probably end up in the bin – or eaten – after a few months; and while this type of stocking gift most definitely has a place, it can be nice to include some more long-term gifts – such as something to start up a new hobby.

There are a huge amount of options when it comes to hobby gifts, for example you could include a little ceramic plant pot and a packet of vegetable seeds so your kids can start growing their very own crops, albeit on a tiny scale. You could also go for a starter kit of magic tricks to learn – they’ll love putting on a show for all the family.

For slightly older kids who already have hobbies, you can always include items to make their current hobbies more enjoyable, for example if they’re really into sports then you could add a pair of headphones specifically designed to stay put during activity. For big kids – aka the husband – you could go for a poker set so he can teach himself to play, and then have game night with his friends once the festivities are over.

Don’t Forget the Edibles!

 Sweets and treats are pretty standard stocking fare as they’re guaranteed to be a hit with all ages. Whether it’s the traditional Satsuma and walnut, or something more avant garde like a gift voucher to their favourite restaurant, there should always be something delicious in a stocking – Christmas is a time of guilt-free indulgence.

For younger kids go with a gift pack of their favourite sweets, as well as a few surprises that they might not have tried before – even if they end up not liking them, it’s an exciting experience to discover and try new things. For slightly older kids you can include things like jelly cubes in interesting flavours, international sweets that they won’t have seen before, or bake mix – an activity and a treat!

For avid chefs a good wild-card option is to include a Christmas themed recipe book, and maybe a little ingredient kit for one of the recipes so they can get straight in the kitchen. Finally for adults include some of their favourite chocolate, a selection box of truffles, and other snacks – including savory ones like beef jerky. Don’t forget to include a little of their favourite tipple from a company like Just Miniatures… well it is Christmas after all.

In collaboration with Proline.

The new term is well and truly upon us, and the novelty of the school run may be wearing off. It’s easy to keep kids entertained on the school run for the first few days of the new school year, but as the days start to drag on they might get a little bored – making it much more of a slog for them and for you.

It’s a great idea to have a few tricks up your sleeve for those difficult days, to help ease the stress and bring the fun back into the school run. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Try a New Route

As the old saying goes a change is as good as a rest, so by varying the route you can avoid the drudge of the same old route. Consider making the most of the seasons when picking your route, for example if it’s Autumn try and walk past a horse chestnut tree and grab a couple of nice shiny conkers to play with.

If it’s spring, maybe take a route with some lovely blossom or daffodils to admire. Don’t be afraid to take a slightly longer route, just make sure you leave enough time to get to school for their morning registration – if you’re concerned about the time maybe save the different route for the trip home.

Take Entertainment

If changing the route isn’t really an option, think about taking some entertainment with you.

This is particularly good if your child is off to school for the first time and is a little anxious, as they’ll find it comforting to bring something familiar from home with them.

Most schools have rules about not bringing in stuff from home though, so if you do this make it clear to your child that you’ll look after the toy once they get to school. For the school run itself a small toy car is a great idea, as they’ll be loads of varied surfaces for your child to run it along and create their own imaginary racetrack.

You could also consider a small pair of binoculars for them to spot wildlife – or a magnifying glass for them to look at insects close up. Exploration is a fantastic way to stimulate your child’s imagination, and will make the school run fly by.

Another great option is to grab some wheels – maybe a scooter, or check out Proline Skates for a great range of heelys that your kids will absolutely love.